DEPARTING
by la letra escarlata
Summary: A one-shot story based upon Alexandra Ripley's Scarlett – Rhett and Scarlett had their sailing trip the day after St. Cecilia's Ball but it was somewhat uneventful; that is, no shipwreck and no subsequent beach scene. So it is time for Scarlett to leave.


**DEPARTING**

_So this is a one-shot story and, despite the title, it has nothing to do with my story "Returning." This story is based upon Alexandra Ripley's _Scarlett _– Rhett and Scarlett had their sailing trip the day after St. Cecilia's Ball but it was somewhat uneventful; that is, no shipwreck and no subsequent beach scene. So it is time for Scarlett, according to the agreement she made with Rhett upon her first arriving in Charleston, to leave the city for good._

With a heavy heart, Scarlett sat down on the edge of the bed she had been sleeping in for the past weeks. Her trunks were already packed and waiting to be loaded into the carriage that Rhett had arranged to come pick her up in less than an hour. The only thing that still marked Scarlett's presence in the bedroom was her hat and gloves, lying on the small table until she decided it was time for going downstairs and say goodbye to Rhett. There was nothing that kept her here now that her luggage had been conveniently taken care of but she couldn't quite bring herself to leave the relative safety of this room. When she finally left it, she would have to face her final farewell to Rhett. Despite her good intentions and her ambitious plans, her attempt to win Rhett's heart back had failed miserably. According to their agreement, once the St. Cecilia's Ball and the Charleston season were over, it was her turn to return to Atlanta and grant Rhett the divorce, as they had agreed. Scarlett felt like crying. Yesterday had been such a lovely day and she had had such a great time sailing with Rhett. it had almost been as the good, old times when they had spent so many fun moments together during the war. But almost had not been good enough and now she had to leave Charleston.

She had already said goodbye to Rosemary and Mrs. Butler, who had left early in the morning to go join a committee pertaining some charity or another. Rosemary had been cold but civil and Mrs. Butler had almost brought Scarlett to tears with her heartfelt farewell and her good wishes. Nothing to do with the glacial and exceedingly formal goodbyes of her aunts. One would expect a little bit more of feeling form people she had been supporting for the last few years.

Scarlett was startled by the rapid knocking on the door.

'Come in,' she replied automatically.

'All ready, Mrs. Butler?' Rhett asked, swiftly entering into the room.

'Yeah,' she replied, standing up and seeing with dismay that Rhett was bringing some papers in his left hand. She had little doubt as to what the content of those papers would be.

Rhett put the documents on the table and took up a fountain pen which he proceeded to use to stamp his signature in several places before offering it to her, his arm extended.

'Time to say goodbye,' Rhett said.

With trembling knees, Scarlett came closer to the table and gave a fast look to the documents but she didn't have the heart to read on. Fortunately, her hands had stopped shaking and she could put her name in all the places Rhett indicated to her.

'Everything all right now,?' she asked rather harshly as Rhett folded the papers and put them into a brown envelope.

'If you mean if the divorce proceedings are about to take their due course, Scarlett, yes, everything is all right now.'

Scarlett bit her lower lip.

'So this is the end.'

'I guess so, Scarlett, but don't be so melodramatic. I don't think we'll see much of each other again. Atlanta never had too many charms for me and I'm happy to be back in Charleston.'

'Then it is really the end,' she repeated.

'Where will you go now, Scarlett?,' he asked, interested.

'To Atlanta, of course, where else? And then to Tara. I haven't seen Wade and Ella in a few months and I want to take them back to Atlanta to live with me.'

'Really?'

'Yes. They are my children and they should live with me.'

She had been thinking about it for several days and she knew she could not live alone in her enormous Atlanta house. She needed the children, if only to fill the house with their loud voices and their laughter. Maybe this time around her relationship with them would not be so awkward. After all, with Rhett not definitely gone from her life, Wade and Ella were the only she had, except for the store. Certainly, she still had Suellen but she shuddered just thinking about her bitter sister, still holding grudges for not having been able to keep that fussy old maiden of Frank Kennedy.

'Please send them my regards, Scarlett.'

She nodded silently and moved towards the window, fighting the tears. Never one to cry for things she couldn't control or change, she wasn't going to give Rhett the satisfaction to see her openly cry for their ruined marriage and risk putting herself in a position where Rhett could make her a hurting remark. He seemed strangely unaffected although she had to admit that he didn't look as smug or boastful as she had feared. Better that way – she wouldn't have been able to bear the sight of Rhett all too happy of his triumph, of enjoying seeing the back of her with all her hopes shattered.

Her composure regained, Scarlett turned around to face Rhett again.

'I still love you, Rhett,' she said.

All was lost now, the papers already signed, she would be leaving in less than half an hour but, somehow, she felt the need to tell him, even though she was painfully aware that it was too late for anything to change now. She had not managed to change Rhett's mind and nothing would now that the triumph was his. Anyway, saying it somehow made the hurt be a little less painful.

Rhett looked at her without blinking. She was about to leave for good and once she was gone, he would probably never see her again, the woman he had loved for so long and chased after for so many years… With their marriage ended, he would have no reason to return to Atlanta – not that he thought Scarlett, as a divorced woman in disgrace, would welcome him. She would be gone and the last thirteen years of his life would have finished with nothing but a few memories, most of them terribly bittersweet.

Also, he war far from being elated. Drawing up the paperwork with his lawyer he had been really happy, looking forward to seeing the look in Scarlett's face when she eventually had to give up and accept defeat. He had thought he would be the happiest man in the world to get rid of his bothersome wife but he was not. When he made the agreement with Scarlett, he thought the days until it came to an end would be a torture but they had flown faster than he had dreaded and now the day for her to depart had finally come.

And now this. A renewed love declaration, not tearful like the first one but serene and tinged with acceptance, nevertheless. Rhett didn't know how to reply to that, as he reminded himself that she was about to go out of his life for good. Something surprised him – he felt regret and sorrow at the prospect of Scarlett leaving. More than that, he hated that very idea, he didn't want her to go!

Rhett went towards Scarlett and kissed her, embracing her as tightly as he could. Scarlett's startled eyes looked into his as he finally broke the kiss.

'Rhett,' was all she could say.

'Don't leave me, Scarlett,' he asked. 'Let us go somewhere else, together, anywhere.'

'And the papers?,' she asked, throwing a glance to the ominous envelope.

'To hell with them!,' he almost shouted, pressing her hands into his.

'Is this for real, Rhett?'

'Dammit, it is, Scarlett. Let's start anew and forget the past. Are you willing to do that, Scarlett? Do you think you could do that?'

'I love you, Rhett,' she simply replied.

'Everything is going to be all right this time, Scarlett,' he promised her and kissed her again.

**~THE END~**


End file.
